We rely on the internet to do just about everything. So, it’s only fair that everyone has access to high-quality and affordable broadband services to benefit from all the education, economic, and social opportunities that the internet has to offer. Technology and connectivity are also an important part of the transportation system.
Unfortunately, access to broadband is not very common right now, especially for limited-income households, rural communities, and people living on tribal lands. These disparities are defined as the digital divide, which is the growing gap between people with and without reliable access to broadband service and adequate devices for connecting to high-speed internet.
Therefore, in January 2021, the SANDAG Board of Directors passed a resolution and committed to rapidly increasing broadband internet access in our region. The Regional Digital Equity Strategy and Action Plan lays out a roadmap for improving broadband access and usage in the San Diego region and was adopted by the SANDAG Board of Directors on December 17, 2021.
To highlight progress underway, SANDAG created a Progress Tracker for the Regional Digital Equity Strategy and Action Plan. The Progress Tracker serves as a valuable tool for communicating the efforts necessary to bridge the digital divide.
